I got admitted to Groton last Tuesday but I was waitlisted at Andover and Exeter. I like all three schools but I feel like my order is Andover, Groton, Exeter. I had a great feel at Andover and I know its name will probably help me with jobs or college in the future. I also really like the idea of rigorous academics with freedom like a casual dress code, more unstructured free time, and more laid back teachers (from what I’ve read on CC). I really do like Groton though because there are only 350 kids and I feel like I’ll be able to make better connections with teachers. Exeter seems like a great school to me but from what I’ve read on CC, there are really hard classes during school so I won’t be able to focus on EC’s.
Right now I’m really into technology and programming but I’m considering a medical profession as my actual job. I’m in 8th grade right now so I want to keep my options open for what I want to study in college but probably a doctor or engineer. I think I have a good chance of getting off the waitlist for Andover it if moves (knock on wood). I got 99%ile SSAT on all categories. I have pretty good EC’s:
If I get off the waitlist at Andover or Exeter, do you think it’s a good idea to go there or stay with Groton? Would teachers know if I was on the waitlist? Thank you so much for reading through this long post, I would really appreciate any advice.
Honestly, I’d go to Groton. You could keep your mind on PA and PEA until A9 and maybe try to call them around April if there is any openings… but if there isn’t any, I say accept Groton’s offer and have fun
I don’t know where you got the idea that Andover has more laid back teachers than Groton.
The only reason to choose Andover over Groton is because you really crave a huge school v a small one. People who know, know Groton, it will not hold you back college or job wise. Groton is 100% as academically rigorous as Andover, if not more so. Unless you are playing a varsity sport you will have plenty of free time at either school. If you play a varsity sport, you will have almost no free time at any school in season.
Dress code - Groton’s is written more strictly but in reality it is not intrusive in any way. I have never heard a student complain about it.
Groton is incredibly selective and being admitted is very impressive, more so than being admitted to Andover. You should feel proud of yourself. Groton often has spots for kids consider to out of the mainstream for other schools, their inclusiveness is a way of life much more so than schools of equal prestige.
OP: If I understand correctly, you were admitted as a boarding student at Groton, but are on the waitlist as a day student for Andover & Exeter.
(OP wrote “my mom works near Andover and Exeter so we would move there. For Groton, I’m probably just going to board.”) This is confusing to me as Andover & Exeter are not really located close to one another.
Choosing a school is akin to choosing a spouse: everything that fascinated you before the commitment will turn out to be every reason for leaving, while one thing you thought nothing of will become the reason to stay despite everything. So worry not my friend - no matter which choice you make, you will end up making the right decision for wrong reasons. Peace!
Well… if we’re going to embrace the logic above : Groton is fascinated with you and the other two schools are not .
Celebrate your acceptance to Groton ( it’s a big deal - congrats! ) and move on.
There is no decision or choice to be made here unless you want to see either waitlist through to the bitter end and call after deadlines for accepted students or wait until they officially shutdown the WL via a mass email notification - which can happen at ANY moment- especially with PA and PE.
The good news : Both schools usually put WL students out of their misery pretty fast.
As PP have said above, Groton is an excellent (and prestigious, since this seems to be important to you) school but as you mentioned, there are some significant differences as to fit between Groton and Andover/Exeter, particularly size.
Given that you were accepted to Groton, I recommend you celebrate! Decide with your parents whether you want to stay on the WL for Andover and Exeter, and how long you and they are willing to stay on the WL. For example, stay on it until A9? And then send the deposit to Groton and remove the other schools as options? Or are your parents willing to sacrifice the deposit at Groton, should you get off the WL? How long are you willing to deal with the uncertainty of not feeling 100% set in your plans for next year?
Did you apply to Andover and Exeter as a day student? Both of those schools require you to live in certain towns to be a day student, and there are a just few towns from which you can be a day student at both Andover and Exeter, which are pretty much 20-25 minutes from each one.
Some prospective students outside of these towns apply as a day student, telling the AO that they plan to move to one of those towns if they are accepted. Did you do this?
Day students and boarders are considered different “buckets” for admissions purposes. If you are thinking of changing your bucket, or are willing to change your bucket if it might increase your chance of getting off the WL (not sure that it will - yield for day students is usually pretty high at these schools), you or your parent definitively want to have a conversation about this with the AO ASAP.
The day student experience can also be different from the boarder experience, and that is something to seriously think about. Groton has relatively few day students compared to Andover and Exeter, so the day student experience at Groton can also be very different from the day student experience at Andover or Exeter (although I know you said you would board at Groton). These are all things your may want to really think about.
Go where you have been admitted. The other is not an option for you now. If you want to wait until A9 to commit - just in case there is WL movement- no worries.
If you come off the WL later, you can decide whether it makes sense to forfeit your deposit and change paths, which sounds like something of an undertaking with a move, etc.
Thank you guys for all the advice! I have really wanted to go to Andover so I think I will enroll at Groton April 9th if no one else responds. If the waitlist moves after that, I’m going to have to consider but until then, thank you guys so much!
@cc128 Ill just add something. Every school has the tremendously luxury of getting to handpick every single student from a ton of amazingly qualified students to craft a class. One could argue that no where is that dynamic more true and the class more deliberately selected than at Groton, due to both its size and selectivity.
All three are fantastic options! But if you end up at Groton, which I know isn’t your first choice, know that they REALLY REALLY see you fitting in there and they really want you. They know who thrives well there and they see that in you.
Congratulations on a great path next year, no matter what happens on A9.
